Tube-cleaner.



A. FRAISSINET.

TUBE CLEANER.

APPLIUATION N LED 15.411,31, 1911.l

1,002,255. Patented Sept. 5,1911., E

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

A. FRAISSINET.

TUBE CLEANER.Y APPLIUATION FILED 111111.31, 1911.

1,002,255. Patented Sept. 5, 1911.

ZSHBETS-SHBET 2.

rrion ALFRED FRAISSINET, OF CHEMNITZ, GERMANY.

TUBE-CLEANER.

ysuch fiuid, a whirling motion being imparted to the air-mixture by spirally disposed ribs fitted in or about the feeding nozzle.

According to the present invention, which partly consists in various details of construction of the nozzle itself, an adjustable shield is provided for the purpose of pre-v venting other than the hot air rising along the wall of the boiler from entering the tubes. By thus excluding cold air from the tubes, the cooling of the boiler by the cleaning process and a condensation of the cleaning fluid, with consequent formation of mud and incrustation in the tubes, is prevented.

Whereas in previous arrangements the supply of compressed fluid is generally regulated by the depression, with the finger, of a valve either in opposition to the pressure or to a still more powerful spring, means are in the present instance provided for regulating the fluid supply by turning the operating handle which is capable of rotary motion and which is geared to a rotary slide valve for the purpose. In this manner the operation of the device is considerably facilitated.

The invention is illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings, Figures l, 2, 3 representing longitudinal sections of the front part of the apparatus, Fig. 1 showing also the shield and the nozzle-head, Fig. 4, a cross-section on the line A-B of Fig. 3, Fig. 5, a rear view of the shield, Figs. 6 and 7 front views of dierent constructions of the same, Fig. 8, a view of the nozzle-head, Fig. 9, a longitudinal section of the rear part of the apparatus, Fig. 10, a view, partly in section, of the operating handle, Fig. 11, a front view of the valve casing, and Fig. 12, a sectional front view of the gearing by means ofwhich the valve is operated.

According to the invention the apparatus is composed of two pipe ends 1 and 2, of uniform cross-section, which arescrewed together over a contracted nozzle 3 having on Specification of Letters Patent.

Application inea March si, 1911.

` the pipes.

Patented Sept. `5, 1911. serial No. 618,144.

its rear part two screw-threaded portions t and 5 for the reception of the pipes, the nozzle being projected into the front pipe 2. A shoulder 6 between the screw-threaded portions serves as abutment for the ends of The duct 7 of the nozzle 3 is conical at the rear and cylindrical at the front; the frontend of the nozzle is moreover tapered on the outside. Apertures 8 are provided in the wall of the pipe 2 to admit air from the outside, and such air is set in a whirling motion by spirally arranged ribs 9 tted between the projecting part of the nozzle 3 and the pipe 2 and extended through a suitable distance. The ribs, which may have a more forward position than indicated in the drawings, may be connected either to the nozzle or to the pipe 2.

For the purpose of applying the cleaner to the smoke tubes a head 10 is provided which is adjustably arranged on the pipe 2. This head consists of a sleeve 12 to which forwardly tapering ribs 13 are connected. The ribs engage the smoke tube with their edges and admit air through the spaces 15 between them into the tube. A whirling motion is imparted to such air by arranging the ribs 13 spirally on the sleeve 12. The direction in which the ribs are carried must be the same as that of the ribs 9. A set screw 11 fitted in the sleeve enables the head to be secured to the pipe in various positions.

In order to guide the hot air, rising along the boiler wall, into the apertures 8 and the spaces 15, and to exclude the cold air disposed at some distance from the boiler wall, a shield 16 is provided which is adjustably arranged on the pipe 1 by means of a clamp 17 and a screw-bolt 18. The side of the shield-plate 19 which faces the boiler is fitted with vanes 20, such vanes being either 'spiral-shaped, as shown in Fig. 6, or set in an oblique position, as shown in Fig. 7. These vanes serve to impart a rotary motion to the air before its entrance into the passages between the ribs 9 and 13, and are set in the same direction as the latter. A notch 21 may be provided in the shieldplate 19 to allow the front part of the apparatus to be surveyed. For the same purpose the shield maybe made partly or entirely of some transparent material such as mica or the like.

For regulating the fluid supply to the nozzle the following arrangement is provided, reference being had to Figs. 9 toY 12 of the drawings: A casing 24, containing any known kind of rotary slide valve, is fitted on opposite sides with screw-sockets 25 and 26. The socket 25 is screwed to the pipe 1; the other socket is screwed to a cylindrical body 22 through a laterally open ing duct 23 of which the fluid is conducted to the Valve. pose connected to the steam space of the boiler or to any other source of compressed gaseous Huid. The valve is operated by a spindle 27, to the outer, squared end of which a socket-wrench 28 is applied. The outer end of the wrench 28 is rotatably held in a bracket provided on the outer end of the body 22 and is tted with a toothed wheel 29 connected thereto by a cross-pin 30. On a pin 31, screwed into the end of the body 22, an operating handle 32 is swivelly mounted by means of its stem 35. A collar 34 on the outer, reduced end of the pin 31 retains the handle on the pin, the collar being in its turn retained by a cross-pin 33. The lower part of the handle stem 35 is formed with teeth which mesh with the teeth of the wheel 29. Vhen, therefore, the handle is turned on the body 22, the wrench 28 andthe valve must be turned with it. Since the pressure on the slide valve does not materially interfere with its movement, and since the operator is able to apply his whole hand power to the operating handle 32, it is evident that the improved device will be far more easy to manipulate than g those in which avalve has to be depressed by a finger. Besides, the valve always re mains in adjusted-position, which is a further advantage.

The device is operated in the usual manner, the nozzle-head 10 being applied to the smokeltubes lll, as shown in F ig. 1, and the valve opened by turning "the handle 32. Owing to the velocity of the compressed fluid discharged by the nozzle 3, air is sucked in through the apertures 8 and set in a whirling motion by the spiral ribs 9. This motion of the air is also transmitted to the f fluid discharged by the nozzle 3, a thorough mixing of the two being thus effected. AS the air-mixture is discharged into the tube by the pipe 2, more air is sucked in through the spaces between the ribs 13 of the head l0, this air being also set in rotation owing to the spiral position ofthe ribs. The. shield 16 prevents other than the hot air rising along the boiler wall from entering the apertures 8 and the spaces 15, the cold air from the outside being excluded. The vanes 20 of the shield set the air in circulation before it enters the apertures 8 and the spaces 15.

The general effect of the arrangement is therefore to introduce a large quantity of hot air into thetubes together with the com- The duct 23 is for that pu'routside of water tubes, superheaters, andy the like, the nozzle-head 10 and, if need be, also the shield- 16, may be removed. The construction of the device allows of making its external parts sufliciently strong to resist shocks, and since the internal parts are well covered up. and protected, no damage need' be incurred to the same if the cleaner is dropped' or otherwise roughly handled.

I claim 1. A tube cleaner of the character described, comprising a nozzle having at its rear end a shoulder and screwthreaded portions at bothk sides of said shoulder, a pipe lsupplying compressed gaseous fluid screwed from the rear against said shoulder, another pipe screwed from the front against the Vsame so as to inclose the front part of the vlnozzle, spirally arranged ribs'between the nozzle and wall of the latter pipe, said illatter pipe having apertures to admit air finto the spaces between the ribs, and means for shielding said apertures against cold air,

:substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. A tube cleaner of the character degscribed, comprising a nozzle having at its rear end a shoulder and screw-threaded' por `tions at both sidesof said shoulder, pipe ends of a diameter equal to that of the shoulder screwed against the latter from opposite sides, a collar having forwardly ta pering spirally arranged ribs adjust-ably ffitted on the pipe for holding the apparatus in position in the nozzle ofthe tube to `lbe cleaned, means for admitting air into theV front pipe, and means for shielding the air inlets from cold air.

y 3. A tube cleaner of the character described, comprising a nozzle having at its :rear end a shoulder and screwthreadedpor tions at both sides of said shoulder, pipe lend of a diameter equal to that of the shoulder screwed against the latter from bo-th sides, the front pipe having apertures to admit air to the nozzle, spirally arranged ribs between the nozzle and the pipe for putting such air into circulation,san adjust-able shield on the rear pipe to prevent other than the hot air rising along the boiler wall from entering the apertures, and forwardly directed spirally disposed vanes on said shield to set the air in circulation.

4. In a tube cleaner of the character described a rotary valve for regulating the fluid supply, a cylindrical body screwed td the Valve casing and provided With a lateral portadmitting fluid to the Valve, an 0perating handle swiveled to the outer end of the Cylindrical body, and connections between the swiveled handle and the actuating spindle of the Valve allowing the valve to be operated by the turning of the handle.

5. In a tube cleaner of the character described, a rotary valve for regulating the fluid supply, a cylindrical body screwed to the valve casing, means for admitting Huid through the body to the valve, an operating handle, having teeth formed on its stem,

Vthe rear end of the Wrench meshing with the teeth of the handle so that the valve can be operated by the turning of the handle.

ALFRED FRAISSINET.

Witnesses ALBERT R. MORAWETZ, RUDULPH FRICKE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

